Perhaps an Intention
by Ame-san
Summary: Sequel to Her Mother's Daughter. Lena (Relena) has decided to remain only as a friend to Heero, but a new woman in his life has made her feel quite uneasy. This is a story of love triangle, mystery, and corrupt corporations. 1xR. New Chapter!!
1. Good News

Disclaimer: Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with writing a disclaimer, and why I would go out of my way to make it sound creative. I bet none of you would read it anyway, but just to conform to tradition (and save myself from a lawsuit), I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM WING. This is a fan fiction and it has no commercial values. Happy? I know I am. Enjoy.

Perhaps an Intention

By: Ame-san

Chapter 1

" Liz, is Heero coming over for dinner tonight?" Her mother asked almost in a cheery tone. She pranced through the kitchen as if floating on a cloud. Ignoring the empty frying pan in her right hand, she swung her arms open and spun her body in a complete circle. Then in a rare move, she began to sing. Certainly she had an apt voice for songs, but she never liked to expose that hidden talent of hers to anyone, not even to her daughter. Liz had long before recognized her mother's one timidity, and that was why she was stunned to see her acting this way. 

" No, he's not coming tonight." Liz replied from the kitchen table where she had busied herself with homework for the past hour. 

" He's not?" The lighthearted tone was lost and it was replaced by a hint of disappointment. A very subtle change of mood indeed, but the daughter had sensed it right away. 

" No. But why were you acting so weird, mom?" She questioned askance. " Anything that I should know about?" 

" Oh, it was nothing." Lena resumed her position in front of the stove. " It's just that too much hope always result in big disappointment." 

" Right. But you have never ever acted this way before for the past year when Heero came for the Friday night dinner. What about the hopes? Heh?" She put her pen down. 

" Nothing. I was just happy, is that a crime?" She had never hid anything from Liz. 

" Liar." Liz picked up her pen and went back to her studies. " I won't push you, but that doesn't give you the right to lie to me. Whatever it is, I hope you'll tell me when you are ready, mom." She spoke with her eyes buried in her books. 

" I said it was nothing, Liz. Besides, if it were anything important, I would have already told you." Lena shook her head in amusement. " You think too much." 

" Right." She paused. " But I bet you want to know why he isn't coming tonight." Soft chuckles came behind the books. 

" No, not really. It's rather nice for once to spend a Friday night without the party pooper around." She laughed at her own choice of word. 

" Harsh words, mom." Liz discarded her books on the table. " He's on a date." Evasiveness was never her forte. 

" A what? Date?" She almost choked on that word. Fortunately her self-discipline saved her the embarrassment. 

" Yes." Liz spoke at ease with calm, completely amused by her mother's reaction. " What? Is that a crime?" 

" No...ehm...no. It's just odd to think that he would be on a date." She swallowed in disbelief. " With a woman?" 

" No, mother. With a man. " Liz cracked up with laughter. " Of course with a woman, I don't think he's interested in man. At least not that I know of. I'm happy with just one father." 

" You know that's not what I meant to say, Elizabeth." 

" I know what you were trying to say. You are surprised that he is on a date with a woman and that woman isn't you." 

" Elizabeth Dorlain, what on Earth are you talking about? " She sounded indignant. " You know very well that this has nothing to do with me. I was just taken aback by Heero's new progress in life." She defended herself. 

" Good self-defense, but what would you do if I am to tell you now that that other woman is coming over tomorrow to meet with us." She waited patiently for the outburst from her mother, but it never came. In fact, Lena was suddenly as calm as a statue made of clay. 

" Oh. That's nice." She turned her back at Liz and continued with her cooking. " It'll be great for you to meet her, Liz. And besides, he must really like her, or why would he bring her to meet you just after one date, right?" 

" You ok, mom?" 

" Yeah, I'm fine." 

" Then would you still be fine if I tell you that this isn't their first date?" She waited again for the emotional break down. It didn't happen. 

" Actually, I'm not ok." Lena turned around looking quite angry. "Why didn't you or Heero tell me about this?" 

" We were kind of afraid." She walked over to where her mother was standing. 

" Why? You know I would only be happy for him. And if you were really afraid, why tell me this now?" 

" Because he really likes her." Liz hugged her mother. " I'm sorry mom." 

" Wait, why are you sorry?" Lena returned the hug and then everything seemed more clear to her. " Oh no you don't. You think that I still have feelings for him, don't you? Well, to tell you the truth, no, I don't. You two really think too much of me. Liz, I only care for your father as a friend. Heero is just my friend." 

She looked her mother in the eye and so far as she could tell, Lena was telling the truth. Then again, people make mistakes sometimes. She could just be mistaken. 

" I think I need to talk to him about this tomorrow. He shouldn't feel obligated to..." The vid-phone rang. " I'll get it." Lena left to go to the living room. 

" Hi, Lena here." She greeted the caller. " Duo! And Hilde too!" 

" Hi there, we thought we'd call you about tomorrow." Duo spoke with Hilde by his side. 

" What about tomorrow?" _Why is everything has to do with tomorrow?_

" Hello? The play, of course." Hilde reminded her. 

" Right, the play. Wait, when is it again?" Lena asked. 

" Man, what's wrong with you, Lena? Is everything alright?" Duo questioned. 

" Yeah, it's just that Heero is coming over tomorrow too. I need to know what time the play starts, so there won't be a conflict." She replied with a faint smile on her lips. _There will be a conflict alright._

" Ohhhh, Heero is coming." A smirk found its way up Duo's mouth. " That's why. Oh ok, then. The play starts at 6:45 tomorrow night. You know the place, but Hilde and I thought it would be easier to meet up with you and Liz if we just go pick you guys up tomorrow. Sounds good?" 

" Yeah, perfect. Thanks you two." Lena smiled in gratitude. 

" So when is you know who coming tomorrow?" Hilde asked with mischievous in her eyes. 

" Not just him. He's coming over with a woman." Lena forced her lips to curve upward as if in delight. 

" He's bringing Clemetine with him?" Duo said to no one in particular. " Oops. Sorry Lena." He directed a concerned look at her. 

" Duo, why do you have to..." Hilde shook her head in exasperation. 

" Clementine?" Lena questioned. " Does everyone know about her except me?" 

" Well, yes." Liz answered that. She had gotten over to where the vid-phone was set up without her mother's acknowledgement. " Even Uncle Milliardo." 

" What! Zechs knew it too? Am I some sort of monster? Why can't you people just tell me these kinds of stuff?" She was truly angry now. " And Clementine? Is she French?" 

" Yep, a full blooded French I tell ya." Duo nodded. " You alright, Lena? If this has to do with Heero dating another..." 

" Ok, I will say this for the last time. I have no feelings whatsoever toward Heero Yuy, and you people should start treating me with the respect I deserve. Duo, Liz, Hilde, start talking!" 

" Yes, ma'am." Duo gave her a mock salute. 

" Her name is Clementine Thierry and she owes a software company in Paris. She met Heero a few months ago at some computer conference here in Cinq. Then everything sort of just..." 

" Clicked?" Lena finished the sentence for him. " Ok. Continue..." 

An ordinary night turned into a night of confessions, at least to Lena, they were confessions. She somehow felt so exhausted after hearing about THE CLEMENTINE. Not that she was jealous, she would never be jealous at some stranger. Still, she dreaded meeting Clementine, the beautiful, smart, perfect not to mention French, Clementine Thierry. 

_Tomorrow is going to be a long day, I just knew it._

**** 

TBC... 

Note: I just couldn't resist the urge to write a sequel to _ Her Mother's Daughter_. I tried, but it's just impossible. So, as promised, this one centers more on Lena and Heero than on Liz. Though I won't make the story a sappy romance. No fluff allowed, I hope. 


	2. The perfect woman

Disclaimer: Bluh, Bluh. Well, that's as original as I can get. Pretty sad, isn't it. You know the drill, not mine, it's just a fan fiction. 

Perhaps an Intention

By: Ame-san

Chapter 2

" Do I look decent, Liz?" Lena straightened her white three-quartered sleeved cotton shirt for the third time and dusted her denim jeans for the fifth time. " What time is it, Liz?"

" Calm down mother, you look like you are about to meet your in-laws for the first time." Liz chuckled softly and looked at her watch. " It's three-thirty."

" I wish it were that easy." Lena chose a spot in the living room and sat down. Liz, who was lying casually on the couch laughed out loud. " What? This isn't funny, Liz."

" No, mom. It's not. You are a lawyer for heaven's sake. You should be incapable of being nervous. Besides, what are you so nervous about." She sat up straight and stared at her mother for an answer.

" I'm not nervous. I'm just..." She stood back up again then sat back down. " It's too awkward for me. I mean, it's already odd enough with the three of us. Just think about it, me, Heero and you. Now, there is a Clementine from France. Why can't we ever have a little normalcy in our lives?" She threw her arms in the air. " Why?"

" You are acting way too melodramatic. Stop taking it so seriously. Life sometimes needs that little extra to spice things up."

" But I don't like spicy food. I hate it." 

" You are not making any sense now." Liz gave up. " Mom, Heero is finally making progress, don't spoil it for him. Give him a chance to live."

" Sometimes I wonder who's the mother in this house, Liz." Lena relaxed a little bit. She breathed in deep and said. " I'm not ready though. He might, but I'm not mature enough for this. That extra spice in life makes everything complicated, and I can't handle it."

" Yes you can. You have handled it for over 17 years. That's something there for you. 17 years is a long time." Liz looked down at the carpeted floor and rearranged the way her sock is worn on her left foot. " Meeting Clementine might not be something you take as a delight, but you'll get use to it eventually. I don't doubt the fact that you have no feelings toward Heero, and I know that that doesn't mean this will be easy on you. Still, give them a chance and just be happy for him."

" I do feel happy for him, and that happy feeling makes me question things."

" What things?" She asked her mother.

" I don't know, and I sound like Heero just now. Liz, I..." A car pulled into their drive way. 

" Mom, I think they are here." Liz got up the couch and went to the front porch to greet their guests. " Tell me later."

She opened the door slightly and saw Heero walking up the steps with a woman she assumed to be Clementine Thierry. As they approached closer she opened the door completely and ran toward Heero.

" Heero! Hi!" She gave him a hug which he willingly accepted. A year of living can really change a person. 

" Hi, Liz." He greeted her back. He had surprised everyone by start calling her Liz, including himself, and now, it seemed as if he couldn't call her anything else. Liz, however, stuck on calling him by his name instead of father, except on special occasions. Father was just not the word for both of them. 

" Heero, Mom knew it already. Duo and I spilt the word. Sorry." She whispered at his ear. 

" Well, it saves me the trouble of telling her." He sighed.

" Hello. Liz." It came from Clementine.

" Hi. Clementine, right?" Liz extended out her hand. Clementine accepted the hand shake. So far so good, she didn't seem to be a mean person. Of course not.

" Where is Relena?" Heero asked while all three of them entered the house. Yes, he still insisted on calling her Relena. Some things just never change.

" I'm right here." Lena emerged from the living room to greet the guests. " Hello Heero. How was your week? " Before he could respond, she sauntered up to Clementine and offered her a hand shake. Very business like but casual nonetheless. Only she was capable of pulling on an act like this. 

" Bonjour, Clementine. Bienvenue chez moi. Ca me fait plaisir de vous voir. Ca va?" She spoke in fluent French.

" Ca va bien. Merci. Vous etes bien aimable." Clementine replied with equal courtesy. 

" Alors, mettez-vous a l'aise." Lena motioned them to come into the living room and make themselves at ease. 

" Mom, when did you know how to speak French?" Liz was speechless. 

" Just something I learned when I was young." She watched Clementine and Heero sat together side by side on the sofa. Clementine, who looked just as perfect as how Duo had described her. Long brown hair ( a shade light than Lena's) cascaded down to her thin waist. She was a little taller than Lena and had less wrinkles on her face despite that they were about the same age. Her makeup was light but just enough to bring out the emerald green of her eyes. They looked like emeralds themselves, so pure and shiny and glittery. Clementine wore a button up black shirt and a pair of fit khakis with black boots. Certainly more fashionable than Lena. She didn't even wear any jewelries. A high class taste indeed. Physically, she was better looking than Lena, and intellectually, she wouldn't be anything less than smart. 

" Bravo. Miss Dorlain. Your French is perfect. I almost thought that you were a Frenchman." She smiled kindly at Lena. " You are just as impressive as Heero told me about."

" Oh no. French was something that was required of me when I was young, but thanks for your compliment." Lena smiled back. " You can just call me Lena. I don't like all the formality. It's too impersonal. And by the way, your English is just as impressive."

" Thanks. See, business these days requires perfect English. I'm merely following the trend, not that I'm fond of it though, Lena." The hidden tension seemed to be under control.

" Dorlain. That name sounds kind of familiar. May I ask if you are related to..." 

" Vise Foreign Minister Dorlain?" Lena picked up her question. " My father was one years ago, and I followed in his footsteps for a very short time. Then I found out that I wasn't interested in politics very much, so I quit."

" Heero seems to have neglected that piece of information when he told me about you. I can tell that you two are very good friends." She said while looking at Heero, who sat quietly as always.

" It's just odd to see someone as taciturn as Heero could get someone like you, Clementine." 

" What do you mean..."

" Mom," Liz cut in. " It's rude to leave your guest dry like this. Why don't you come with me to the kitchen and prepare some drinks for them, ok?" Without waiting for a response, she dragged her mother away into the kitchen.

Once Liz was sure that no one could hear them, she spoke to her mother. " Why did you say that to her, mother?"

" Say what? I was only speaking of the truth." 

Liz ignored her mom's complaint and began pouring tea in cups. " So, what do you think? Is she good enough for him?"

" Good enough? She's perfect. I have never met anyone so perfect as that woman sitting in our living room right now. " She helped her daughter by preparing the cookies for refreshment. " She's beautiful, nice, and I bet she's smart too. She knows her history well."

" Jealous?" 

" No. Maybe as a fellow woman, but nothing else. Yet I'm just not comfortable around her. Maybe she's a little too perfect for me. Almost can't stand it."

" I say that you are jealous of her. You were always the perfect one, and now there is someone else who is better than you and who is also dating Heero. There has to be a little bit of jealousy going on." Liz finished pouring the tea.

" Elizabeth, be serious please." Lena put away the cookies. " Besides, I'm not jealous or I would have pull the ex-queen of the world trick."

Liz chuckled. " Fine. If you want to know what I think. I think she's nice except she looks too perfect. It sort of creeps me out. But I can't make any assumptions just from her looks, so I say why don't we get to know her first. Then you can make all of your judgment, mother."

" Maybe you are right, maybe I'm just being jealous of her." She picked up the tray that carried all the refreshment. " Liz, don't you think that Heero is awfully quiet today?"

" Isn't he always."

-------------------

" Do you think Liz likes me? Heero?" Clementine spoke softly. 

" You'll have to wait on that." He answered.

" Well, I don't think Lena is very fond of me. It's already awkward enough for me to be here." She sighed. " I don't even know how to act around her. It's as if I'm meeting your mother, except she's your daughter's mother." She chuckled at what she just said. " Odd world we live in, don't you think? Life is sometimes too interesting for me."

" Yes." He said. _I wonder just how I came to be in a situation like this one._

" Here, we've got tea and cookies for you." Liz emerged back out from the kitchen followed by Lena. She set the tray on the table and went back to her seat in the chair near the couch. Lena did too and sat by her daughter.

" So, Clementine. Tell me something about yourself. What do you do for a living if you don't mind the question?" Lena asked politely.

" No, I don't mind. I own a computer software company in France. Here, this is my business card." She handed out her card to Lena.  


" T.I.S. corporation." Lena read it out loud then paused for a second before continued. " I think I've heard it somewhere before, but I can't remember where."  


" It's a small company, I don't think you could have heard it." Clementine shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Then to everyone's surprise she put her hand on Heero's and he didn't refuse her action. 

_Well, this will be the longest two hours of my life._ Lena sighed inwardly.

Finally after Heero left with Clementine and Duo and Hilde came to pick them up, Lena was able to breath in normally. She didn't despise Clementine, in fact she didn't know how she felt toward her relationship with Heero, yet something about that woman worried her. 

" Duo, did you know the name of Clementine's company is T.I.S.corp? " She asked Duo while the four of them were in the car. 

" No, not really. Heero never mentioned it to me." He replied.

" Is there something that matters?" Hilde sensed the underlying worry in Lena's voice.

" No, it's nothing. I think I remember that name from one of my cases."

***

TBC...

Note: Hopefully, the story will pick up the pace in the next chapter.


	3. The flawed interior

Disclaimer: All standard stuff. If you must have proof, see chapter 1 please.

Perhaps an Intention

By: Ame-san

Chapter 3

_T.I.S.Corporation. It has to be in here somewhere._ She searched the dusty old box in hopes of finding a clue that would solve her problem. Well, problems. For the past hour and half she had stuck her head in every box, drawer, cabinet, shelf, anything that stored old files and cases. Still, there was no trace of what she was looking for. It was at times like this she reprimanded herself harshly for her lack of organizations. Her office might look clean, well organized, but beneath that perfect exterior there lay a shambles. The files might appear to be in their proper place, but it would take a century to find them. The ones you needed the most, of course. Life, as always, loved to play tricks on people as if it were not hard enough for them. She kept searching, digging, and flipping through every single page of thick packets of nonsense, things she could careless about, things that held great values to others. And amidst of all, she wondered why. Why would this little insignificant detail of someone else's life matter to her? Why would she sacrifice her dinner with her daughter just for a sheet of paper? Why would she care about this Clementine? Then there was the most disturbing question hung in her head and feasted upon her mind: Why was she doing this for Heero? 

Turning to see the clock on the far left wall of her office, she dialed the number to his home with papers still clutched in her hands. This would not be a call of confrontation, she was only calling to ask him to check on her daughter. She told herself that repeatedly as the line was being connected.

" Heero? Hi." She neglected the usual formality when he appeared on the screen. " I still have a few cases to review before I can leave, so would you please go over to check on Liz? I already called her, but I would feel much better if you were there with her." 

" Yeah." There was a reluctance in his voice. " Relena I have..."

" You are not busy right now, are you?" She shot him a quick glance before diverting back her attention to the papers. She didn't feel like looking at him in the face.

" No, I can make it. I...I think we need to talk."

_We need to talk. The worst four words in any language. _

" I've been wanting to call you, but..."

" Heero, I understand. There is something I have to say to you too, but can you give me some time ok?" She avoided his gaze. " There is something I have to do before we can have this talk. Give me two days, and I'll call you when I'm ready. Alright? See you." She terminated the link as quickly as possible. _What am I doing? I can't be jealous of her, can I? _

He hung up the call and grabbed his keys. Slowly he walked toward the door of his tiny apartment. Turning off the light as he opened the door, one thought circled in his mind and a lump formed in his throat as he suddenly felt the air thin and suffocating. 

" Just what did I do wrong this time?" He shot the door tightly. _I only wanted to ask you to give me one good reason why I shouldn't like Clementine. I guess your answer is clear._

" Ha, I've got it!" She grinned in triumph. " Now let's see what T.I.S. is really about." 

* * *

She was expecting the second call from her mother to check on her, but instead Quatre Winner greeted her through the screen. She had not seen him in almost four months, since he had assumed a full time job as the head of Winner Corporation. Although Quatre refused at the beginning, for he loved life on Earth, family tradition conquered everything once again. It was a tough adversary to beat indeed, and in the end he lost the battle to conformity. 

" Uncle Quatre!" She was quite happy to see him. " Hi! It's been so long since you last called. I'm actually beginning to miss you."

" Hi Liz. I almost missed you too." He said jokingly. " How is your mom, Liz? I can see that she's not there right now? Where is she?"

" Wait up on the questions, Uncle Quatre. If you must know, Mom is doing just fine. She's working late tonight."

" Always the hard worker. Well," He cleared his throat. " I'm actually calling for three things. First, I just want to say hi and check on you guys. Second, I hear that you've met Clementine already."

" Duo told you that, didn't he? Uncle Duo is... well...Uncle Duo." She chuckled lightly. " So, what do you want to know?"

" How is Lena taking it?" He asked. It seemed like that that was the question of the week.

" She says she's fine. She denies completely of having any feelings toward him, but I don't think she's too fond of Clementine. "

" Well, I've had a chance of meeting her a while ago. She doesn't seem too bad."

" That's just the problem. She's too perfect. It makes everyone jealous of her to some degree." She explained.

" She reminds me of your mother when she was young." 

" Excuse me?"

" Before Lena moved away, she used to be just like Clementine. Perfect in everything. Power, beauty, smarts, she's got it all. Sometime I think Heero went out with Miss Thierry because she reminds him so much of your mother, the old Relena. The Relena who was so much in love with him, not the Lena who only thought him as a friend." His voice was hoarse.

" I don't doubt that. But do you really think that mom only thinks him as a friend?" 

The happy mood changed to one of nostalgia. 

" Maybe. We can only speculate. Besides, it's her decision, though I think she has built a wall around herself. She doesn't want anyone to get close to her, does she?"

" Self-defense mechanism. It's there for a good reason. It's her way of avoiding pain. I sort of inherited that from her too. We are fine just by ourselves."

" Is that why you don't date?" He teased her. " Not that you should."

" This has nothing to do with me, Uncle Quatre. Don't forget that you are not Duo. One is enough, we don't need another."

" Sorry." Only he would apologize for a joke.

" So what about Clementine? Think she's good for Heero?" Liz questioned.

" I don't know. But if it's true that Heero only dates her because of his memory of Relena, the answer is no. It would hurt everyone in the end. If otherwise, then yes. It all depends on Heero." He said knowingly.

" And Thierry..." She trailed off.

" Hey, why are we so worried. I think we should just leave them alone. They know what they are doing. Just let them be." He paused. " Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the third reason I called tonight. I'm coming back to Earth this weekend for a meeting. I thought it would be nice for all of us to have dinner Saturday night. What do you say, Liz?"

" Great, I'll be there!"

* * *

She sat in front of her lab top computer in the dark room where the only light was coming from the monitor screen. She had been waiting patiently for nearly an hour. Motionless, she sat with her back straight staring into the empty screen. She was cold, afraid, angered, and consumed by despair. She bit her lips until blood colored them with the bitter color of a black rose, leaving a more distinct contrast with her pale face. Her eyes lacked the usual glittering animation, instead they were replaced by two orbs of emptiness. Tick, tick, the clock on the white-washed wall continued its count toward infinity. She waited, prayed. Then the screen came to live with a phone call. A man whose face was covered by shadows appeared as expected.

" Miss Thierry. I see you have been waiting. Sorry for the delay. There has been some minor complications tonight." He gray eyes flashed.

" What complications? What do you mean?" She asked without betraying her fear. Her voice calm yet her heart raced in a whirlpool.

" Some one was having a hard time cooperating, nothing of your concerns of course." 

" I will not let you harm any of them, you hear!" Her rage got the better side of her. _If I could only do something about it. God please help me. Please._

" Do calm down. But let me remind you that there is only one left. The other was eliminated tonight." He threatened her. " If there is any problems in the future, I can't promise you what we might not do to this one."

" You bastards!" She tightened her fists at her side as her nails dug into the flesh. " Tell me who?!" She held back the hot tears in her eyes. 

" I can't tell you who. It's not my place to inform you of such tragedy. " The man cackled.

" You will pay for this. I will find a way, just you wait." She warned him. " I promise you that."

" Of course you will, of course. Good night, Miss Thierry. Be perfect, little princess." The link was terminated. 

* * *

" T.I.S.," Lena said to herself with the papers in her hands. Her back slouched into the chair. " stands for Thierry Inter-colonial Satellite. It also has its own software company. So the company is huge after all. Interesting. It says on here that there was a sudden transfer of power one year ago, and they just had a law suit over some paltry copyright issues. Funny that I defended the accused in this case and won. Thierry probably hates my guts if she knew."

She flipped a few pages. " What's this?" It was a newspaper clipping. " Thierry was engaged right before the transfer of power? Why is this even in here? I have never seen it before when I first reviewed the case. Could I have missed it? " She knew she couldn't possibly have, but then what? 

" If she were to marry someone else, why is she dating Heero?" She questioned no one in particular.

" And what you know, Miss Thierry had been very modest about her company, especially her ties with the colonies. Quatre must know about her."

She continued reading. " Still, her engagement shouldn't be a big fuss in the media. I wonder...or maybe Heero already knew..." _God I hope I'm doing the right thing._


	4. Traces of the past

Disclaimer: It's here, somewhere. 

Note: I try my best to make this less mushy, but it's just so hard. Anyway, thank you for the kind words. I know that everyone is way out of character in this, but hey, people change, they grow up. 

Perhaps an Intention

By: Ame-san

Chapter 4

" Heero?" She called to his attention. " Heero? Are you alright?" She was worried, for he had been staring off into space for more than ten minutes now. The meal was getting cold, and even the waiter started to send them questioning glances. She felt a little hot on the cheeks, after all it was not common to have your date neglect you like that. 

" Oh. I'm fine, Relena." He broke off his stare but instead looking at her, he went straight for the food in his plate. Man, they always care more about their stomach than anything else. So she thought.

" Relena?" She was more than embarrassed now. " Excuse me?"

He finally noticed her, but it was too late. The mistake had been made.

" I...I'm sorry...Clementine." He felt sweat coming down his forehead, but on the bright side, he no longer had trouble apologizing. " I didn't mean to...it just came..." Stuttering was his new problem. He couldn't believe it himself too. 

" You don't have to apologize, Heero." Her voice was soft but demanding. " Just tell me what's wrong? Why Relena? "

" I misspoke. It was an accident." He tried to sound sincere.

" Is that so?" She put her fork down lightly on the table.

" It's just that under the light, you looked like her." He explained.

" I see. I understand." She paused. There was no sign of anger or jealousy. She was surprisingly calm. " It must be hard for you, not being able to..." She stopped before she could finish.

" What?" He lost on the last part.

" Nothing." She decided to change the topic. " So, as I was saying when you went off to Lala Land, Quatre invited me to dinner this coming Saturday. " She beamed at him.

He remained expressionless. " He did?"

" Yeah." The excitement lost after she saw his reaction. " But I ...I don't think I'm going. It would be too awkward, since all of your friends are invited too. I would just be an outsider."

" No, it's fine. You should come." He shook his head. Maybe it was because of guilt that he called her by another woman's name or he simply was fond of her, Heero was determined to make her come on Saturday. " I insist, Clementine. You should come and get to know all of them." He offered kindly.

" Well, I guess so." She accepted reluctantly. 

" Oh, I almost forgot." She reached into her purse and pulled out something that resembled a photograph. " This is really embarrassing. I don't think I know what I'm doing, but here, it's a picture of me. "

She slid it over the table; he picked it up with curiosity and some doubt. 

" I know it looks stupid. In fact, I'm acting like an idiot here. I don't know what came over me, but since we've been seeing each other, I thought you might like to have a picture of me as your...ehm...girlfriend. " She swallowed hard and glanced down at her skirt with burning cheeks. Her hands fidgeted with the napkin under the table. _Great, I sound like a young school girl._

He raised his eyebrows in question. _Why do I feel like this is so childish? Do all people who date act like this? And girlfriend? She thinks she's my girlfriend? Well, she is, but she's not...I'm not... What am I suppose to do now? Kiss her? Is that what people do in situations like this? Acting so young and childish? But what about... I hate not knowing what to do._

" Heero?"

He smiled at her and in a confused and daring move, he leaned over across the table and placed a kiss on her cheeks gently.

And awkwardly.

" Thank you." He said.

She froze in disbelief and was flattered by his kind gesture. _I guess we are both acting like children here. Ok, this is not what exactly I expected, but at least he's trying._

He put the picture in his shirt pocket and found that somehow he couldn't look at her straight in the face again. He had never kissed another women before except Relena, but that was different. He was in love with her back then, even though he never told her.

_Wait. In love with Relena? Relena. I loved her, but do I still love her? If so, then what am I doing here with Clementine?_ Suddenly he desperately hoped that Relena wouldn't be angry with him for kissing another woman. 

_But Relena is no longer Relena. There is only Lena._ A small voice rang in his head.

* * *

" So let me get this clear. Thierry is actually the heir to Thierry Inter-colonial Satellite, but she only manages the software company instead of the whole corporation? Why?" Liz asked her mom while she was cleaning the dishes from dinner. 

" The power transfer required that she be married or at least engaged." Lena replied. Her hands were busying with mopping the table. " She was engaged, but somehow it got canceled. She was the CEO for only a short time, then because the engagement was off, the power was given to someone else who used to work for her father before he retired. That someone else is Christian Rinehart, the old manager of the software company. "

" So basically they switched places?" 

" Yes."

" So what does this has to do with Heero?"

" Hopefully nothing, but I'm curious to what happened to the engagement."

" Does Heero know?"

" The engagement? I think so. Why shouldn't he?"

" What now, mom?" Liz finished her chores.

" I want to do more research on this, maybe ask Quatre later when he comes over." 

They both went up the stairs and Liz decided to stay in her mom's room for a little while.

" Don't you think you are looking too hard at this?" She hopped onto her mom's bed as Lena settled down on the small couch nearby.

" Maybe, I just have a bad feeling about this. Everything just seems so unnatural. "

" How so? I think it's just all a coincident. She was going to marry her love, then somehow they break up before the wedding, she lost some of her power, the other guy takes over, she met Heero, and she decided that she likes him better. Seems pretty normal to me." Liz bit her fingernail.

" Stop biting your nails, young lady." Nothing could pass a mother's eyes. " Still, why Heero?"

" Well, she might want to seduce him to get close to his company and take it over when the time comes." Liz chuckled. " Trust me, it's not like that mom."

" I hope you are only joking because the company Heero works for controls 20% of network satellites in the colonies." She was actually taking this seriously.

" Oh, please, mom. If that's her goal, why would she pick Heero instead of the CEO of his company?"

" That's what I am curious about." She sighed. " I can't answer this one."

A brief silence in the room.

" Have you considered that it might be because of your personal feelings that you think like this? Mom?" Liz lay down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

" As a matter of fact, I have. I don't like him hanging out with her." She didn't have any problems saying that. " I don't like her very much either. "

" Good, at least you are being honest with yourself." Liz closed her eyes. 

* * * 

" Hey, Hilde? You awake?" Duo asked. He couldn't sleep at all and it was already passed midnight. 

" No, not really." She replied in her sleep. She was the only woman he knew who could do that and he loved her for it. She turned to her side facing Duo, but with her eyes still closed tightly.

" I was just thinking about Heero and Lena." He wrapped his left arm around her. 

" Why would you be thinking about them this late at night? It's way passed midnight, Duo." She groaned.

" I feel kind of sorry for Lena. It's just not fair that they are not together like they should be, you know."

" I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, honey. Things always work out between the two." She breathed in his scent.

" But now there is Clementine. If Heero keeps dating her, I don't think there ever will be a Heero and Lena. It's not that I don't like Clementine. She's good for Heero, but she's not Lena."

" You mean she's not Relena. Duo, Heero loved Relena. I'm not so sure if he loves Lena. Lena is different. She's not that little innocent pacifist princess anymore."

" I know, and I think she had changed for the better. If I were Heero, I would definitely ask Lena out, she is much more fun than Clementine. She might not be as pretty, but she's..."

" Duo. Just go to sleep and be quiet."

* * *

He turned the light on in his room and sauntered up to his desk. Heero took the picture out of his pocket and opened the drawer. He stared at her face for a few seconds then dropped the picture into the dark drawer and closed it. He climbed into bed and turned off the lamp. The moon light from the window cast itself on the night stand near the lamp where a picture frame stood motionless. It was a picture of Lena, taken at Liz's birthday party a few months ago. Her hair was short and neat, and there was a faint smile on her face. It was innocent and sweet, just like when she was fifteen. 


	5. The unexpected alliance

Disclaimer: Lawyers please refer to chapter one. 

Perhaps an Intention

By: Ame-san 

Chapter 5

" Why did I have to be so damn nice and ask Quatre to have his dinner party at my house, today!?" She literally hit her head on the steering wheel, which caused the car to swing a little off the curb of the road. Instinctively, her senses heightened, and she pulled the wheel back to safety. _Better not try that again._ She mentally reproached herself. _Still..._Her thoughts returned to the upcoming gathering. _It's not that I don't want them to come, it's just..._ She switched on the left turn signal. _ I don't really mind the massive cleaning up I have to do afterward, but dealing with Her the entire evening? I don't think I can survive that. I should have guessed that Quatre would invite her, after all she is practically Heero's girl friend. But still, that's too uncomfortable for everyone. Well, for me at least._

_Hey, on the bright side things can't get any worse than that, I should just be happy._ She made a right turn and the scene greeted her could have her screaming on top of her lungs. A huge, long train of cars lined up in front of her and they were barely moving. " Great, this has to be my lucky day. First, Quatre kindly informs me about Clementine, and now I'm stuck in the worst traffic jam known to mankind." She stopped the car a few feet behind the other vehicles and joined the slow and tedious wait. Her car traveled at the speed of a turtle, and she wondered if the turtle could beat her in this one sided competition. It was absolute torture, and she gladly gave up on the fight. Instead of pulling on her hair out of frustration, she looked out the window and stared at the busy streets. Somehow she was fascinated by the stories of the busy sidewalk, where strangers passed by without paying any heed to one another. She wondered if their meeting was just a coincident. _Will they remember this day when their shoulders touch as they walk away? Perhaps one day they'll... _ Her reverie was broken by the sound of her self-phone ringing. 

" Hello? Lena here." 

" Mom, where are you? It's five-thirty and we only have an hour to get ready." Liz's voice came through the receiver. " Uncle Duo and Aunt Hilde are already here." 

" I'm stuck in a traffic jam, Liz. I haven't moved a foot in ten minutes now. Don't worry though, I'm only ten blocks away. " Her eyes wandered around, searching for a possible alternative out of her present dilemma. 

" Well, I guess I'll just start setting up the place myself then." She heard a sigh on the other end. 

" Sorry, honey, I'll try to get home as soon..." She gasped. " What is she doing here? Oh my..." 

" Mom, Mom! You ok? Hey!" 

" Yeah." She paused. " Liz, I have to go now, love you, bye." She ended the call. 

Lena was taken aback by the sight before her. On the sidewalk, near the entrance of a local cafe, stood Clementine in her trendy clothes. She wasn't alone though. A man about her age, clad in a dark business suit, had his arms around her waist in a very intimate position. Then he proceeded to kiss her lips, and she complied without a single sign of protest. That man was definitely not Heero Yuy. 

" What is she doing? I thought she was together with Heero?" An unexplained anger slowly formed within Lena. " If I'm not mistaken, she is very much in love with that other man. Does Heero....or maybe he..." 

At that moment, the train of cars decided to move and she was forced to turn her attention back to the road. The jam was finally broken but at the most inconvenient time. 

* * * 

" You know I have to go now. They are waiting for me." He reluctantly let his hands go. " I'll see you soon, hopefully, if they let me."

" I know. " Her voice was soft and fragile. 

" They are not going to win, trust me, Clementine." Afraid that she would see through his fear, he turned his back on her. " There has to be a way to beat them. We just need some help."

" Where and how! Tell me!" She didn't mean to let so much of her frustration be known. "How long will that take? We don't have any evidence to fight against them. No one in this world would have the nerve to go against them."

" I know that."

" What am I suppose to do? Just sit here and wait while they kill both of you and eventually me?" She wanted to see his face but he kept his back to her.

" Maybe that Yuy can help." The name itself made his blood boil. 

" Why? Because I'm pretending to be his girlfriend, and it is his duty to take care of my problems?" 

" Clementine..." He didn't know how to continue.

" What? Do you think I like pretending to love him? He might be a nice person, but the most I can do is to love him as a friend. I am only doing this because they forced me. This is the only way I know how to save you."

" I know."

" No, you don't know. You don't know how much I want to be locked up like what they had done to you. I don't want to be free. I don't want to do these dirty work for them." Her body trembled with anger. 

" I...I have to go." He couldn't handle seeing her suffer this way. 

" Then leave." Her voice calmed down a bit. "But tell me, is _ he_ still alive?"

" I don't know. They didn't tell me anything." He looked back at her one last time and left quietly.

" Be careful." She whispered and turned the other direction. 

* * *

The minute Lena stepped into her house, Duo's son darted straight into her arms and gave her one of those gigantic hugs of which the children are so fond. 

" Aunty Lena! I missed you so much!" The little boy held onto his Aunty's sleeves tightly.

" Well, I've missed you too, little guy." Lena straightened her back. " Say, can you tell me where Liz is?"

" Of course, but only if you promise to play with me." He was Duo's son alright. 

" Ok, I promise you. Can you tell me now?" 

" Yep, Lizzy is in the kitchen talking to mommy." He hugged Lena one more time and ran off.

" Liz!" Lena dropped her briefcase on the couch and proceeded in the direction of the kitchen. 

" Yeah, mom. I'm in here!" Liz's voice echoed through the wall. 

She opened the kitchen door and saw both Liz and Hilde busying with a substantial amount of silverware. Lena greeted Hilde and gestured Liz to come with her to the study where they can talk privately. She has to tell her daughter what she saw a few blocks away before she does something drastic. 

" Fine, go." Hilde gave her approval. " But don't you think that you could just leave me here by myself."

" I'll let her go as soon as I'm done talking to her, Hilde." Lena said reassuringly. 

" Hey, you have to help too, Mom." 

" Ok, ok, now let's go." She was already out of the kitchen. 

Liz sensed an underlying anxiety in her mother's tone. She hadn't seen her this jumpy ever since Noin had her baby. 

" What's wrong?" She questioned.

" It's not really a big deal, but while I was stuck in traffic, I saw Thierry with another man. And they seemed intimate together. " Lena let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. 

" So?" That didn't bother her daughter one bit.

" What do you mean by that? Aren't you at all worried?" She couldn't believe her daughter's calmness and apathy. It was frightening sometimes how Liz reminded her of Heero and his stoic nature. _What went wrong? I never reared her to be like him. It can't just be the genes, can it? _

" Mom, you said that they seemed intimate together. It might have just been a misunderstanding." She was the rational one in the family. 

" Well, I wouldn't call kissing a misunderstanding."

" I see. You think she's cheating on Heero." It was a statement rather than a question.

" Of course."

" But mom, you don't know anything about her. I say you shouldn't make your judgment so soon. Besides, this is strictly between them. She should be the one to tell him if she cares for him in any way. It's not our concern and it certainly is not yours, mom."

" Then what do you suggest? " She stood with her arms crossed. 

" You are thinking of telling Heero this tonight, aren't you?" She could tell from her mother's eyes.

" I...don't you think I should?" Lena wasn't a bit sure with her plan.

" No. This is not our business, mom. It's not our place to do such a thing." She shook her head and reinforced her statement. 

" I can't just let her hurt him. He's..."

" Why don't you confront her first?" Liz suggested. 

" I would be insane to do that, Liz. You know how it is between us. She's the girlfriend, I'm the ex-, well I don't know what I am, I just can't do that. It wouldn't be right."

" So it would be right if you tell Heero then?"

" No. But that's better than not doing anything."

" Mom, If you really want to do something, which I have no idea why, you should talk to Clementine yourself. She's coming tonight, so after dinner, get her here in the study and just ask her what is going on." 

" It's not that simple, honey. What if she denies? What if she accuses me of lying?" Lena paced around the room. " I don't have any evidence against her except my eyes."   


" Mom, just try it." _And please sort out your own feelings first or either way Heero will be hurt._ She added that silently. 

* * *

" Thank you so much for having us here, Lena." Quatre raised his wine glass to her. It was after dinner, and everyone was busying socializing at various spots in the living room. 

" Well, Quatre. I should thank you for bringing all the food." She returned the gesture and from the corner of her eye, she watched Heero and Clementine conversing with her brother and Noin. Somehow, she felt rejected by her own family. She was supposed to be the person standing by him and enjoying a good time with loved ones. Instead, all she could see was an imposter in her place pretending to love them as if she never existed. Then again, she could be wrong, and Clementine could be that special someone for him. After all, that French girl resembled more than she did the princess with whom he had fell in love many years ago. _And here I am, the only one here with royal blood in my veins. _ The irony was rather amusing.

" Lena, are you alright?" Quatre stared at her with concern. 

" Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little exhausted." She lied. On the other side of the couch, Liz eyed her mother telling her to proceed with her plan. She glanced back at her daughter with reluctance and stood up. 

" Excuse me, Clementine." She tapped her shoulder lightly. " Sorry to barge in like this, but I need to speak with Clementine for a moment." 

" Um...sure." Thierry turned around and looked at Heero for approval.

" Heero?" Lena asked with a smile. " You can let her go for one minute now, can you?" She teased yet disgusted with her performance. 

" Yeah." He stared at her in confusion but nonetheless complied to her request. Lena nodded and pulled Clementine with her to the study. 

" What's going on?" Heero questioned Zechs and Noin. 

" Don't ask me." Zechs shook his head. " I don't know my sister that well, not anymore. "

" Maybe it's time for you to make an effort?" Heero replied.

" Yuy, have I ever mentioned that I don't like you very much?" It wasn't a serious remark.

" Huh...just about every time I see you. "

* * *

Lena sat behind her desk, while Clementine made herself comfortable sitting in the chair across from her. Both of them felt the tension rising at an unbearable speed, yet none of them was willing to let the other see their weakness. It seemed like they were engaging in a battle, except this war hadn't gotten a clear cause. 

" Clementine, I know that I don't know anything about you, but there is something I have to ask you." Lena took the initiative.

" What is it, Lena?" Thierry was just as clueless as Heero was a minute ago. " Is there something wrong?"

" No, well, yes. How can I put it..." She paused. " I'm going to say this flat out. Clementine, are you seeing another man beside Heero?" It sounded rather ridiculous.

There was a moment of shock and silence. Clementine breathed in deep and nodded her head in acceptance. 

" The truth is: yes. I am." She replied. Lena was surprised at her frankness. 

" Then why?" 

" I cannot tell you why, Lena." She was tired of hiding but continued nevertheless. There was no way she would put _their_ lives in jeopardy. " I hope you'll understand. I'm sorry if I hurt him, and if you want me to, I'll end our relationship." After all this was her chance to stop pretending to love someone while she loved another. 

" I..." Lena was speechless. 

" You don't have to say anything."

" But I need to." Her hands were fidgeting. " You might hate me even more for saying this, but does all this have to do with why you broke your engagement a year ago?"

" How...?"

" I'm a lawyer working for the Preventers." Lena explained. " You should have known about that."

" I did, I just didn't know you have ..."

" I have my ways of getting information." She continued. " Clementine, you need to tell me what happened. Maybe I can help you."

" I...I can't. They'll kill _them_ if I tell you."

" Believe me. I've dealt with far more dangerous things in my life, I think I can handle this one. First of all, who are _they_?" Lena questioned in a serious tone.

She was lost in thoughts for a while but then she remembered what _he_ said to her this afternoon about finding help. She decided to trust the woman sitting on the opposite side of her. 

" The current CEO of T.I.S., Rhinehart, betrayed me and my father by cooperating with some secret organization which I have no idea of its name or origin. That organization is quite powerful though. It controls several satellite corporations and uses them to get rid of any competition standing in its way. It practices a form of both horizontal and vertical combined integration in order to gain domination of the satellite market. So far, the organization has about five satellite companies in its hand. Heero's company is next." 

" What's your role in this then?"

" To save my father and fiancé by helping them." She averted her eyes away from Lena's gaze. " They were taken from me when Rhinehart took control. I tried to get information on his organization, but so far I only got deaths threats."

" Have you tried to inform the police?" 

" There is no use. I have no evidence and it seems to me the police is controlled by them too." 

" None at all?"

" No. Everything they do is thoroughly thought of. My father and fiancé's kidnap was covered by news of his retirement and my break up. I have nothing." Her voice got awfully quiet all of a sudden. 

" So all you need is some evidence then." Lena stood up from her chair and walked over to Clementine. " I think I might just have a way to help you." 

Thierry didn't say anything. She didn't believe in Lena's ability to do so. " Thank you, but I don't think you can."

" No?" She paused. " Why don't you make me your attorney and let me try it first? You don't have to tell anyone about it. This could just be a private agreement between you and me." She offered her a hand shake.

Clementine stared at her and then stood up too. She shook Lena's hand and said, " You are hired."

" What about Heero then?" Lena asked.

" I'll talk to him. Don't worry, he's still available if that was your concern." Thierry grinned. 

A.N: Not a lot of action in this one. Sorry about that. Next chapter though, will have a lot of Heero and Relena moments as they go on a "mission" to obtain some evidence for Clementine. Of course, Duo will be there to help. 


	6. The Mission

Disclaimer: Same as always.

Perhaps and Intention

By: Ame-san

Chapter 6

To solve a problem, one must take action. Both of them had believed in that saying, and it was for this reason that they were now embarked on a journey to the city of light: Paris. It would have been romantic if they hadn't decided to go there for a mission, then again, they probably would never visit the city for any other reason. Paris was not a long way from Cinq, a maximum of four hours on the international highway was sufficient. Still, four hours could be very long. 

" Heero," Lena always took the initiative. " how are you feeling?"

" Not too well. " He spoke the truth. " I've been lied to for months, and now I'm suppose to help her. For once I decided to be normal, and this is what I receive in the end. A sorry, and a 'we should be friends' talk." He sighed. " The joy of rejection. It's great, isn't it?" 

" It's not her fault, she only did what she did to save her fiancé." She never thought that she would defend Clementine in front of Heero. " You should keep the sarcasm though, it'll make you feel much better."

" I know it's not her fault, but I really thought she liked me." He kept his eyes straight on the road.

" So she hurt your ego. So what? " Lena was amused. " Tell me, Heero. Are you disappointed because you were really fond of her or because you were defeated by some other guy?"

He didn't reply. Come on, he was after all another egotistical man. 

" I thought so. The great Heero Yuy was not so great after all. I guess these days good looks just don't work on us women anymore." Lena glanced at him through the corner of her eye. " It's all about the inner soul now."

" You think I'm good looking?" He too could play the game. He wasn't that horrible with words; he just didn't chose to use them all the time. 

" I..." She realized that she had fallen into his trap. " Don't flatter yourself, Yuy. I'm not falling for that one." 

" Answer the question, Dorlain." It was not everyday that one saw him engaged in an act of teasing.

" No. Not at all." She shot him a glare. Victory was hers. It had always been that way. 

He smiled lightly and felt relieved somehow at the thought that he had "broken" up with Clementine. Being with Lena was much easier and natural. She was fun to talk to, a trait he never knew she had before she moved away some odd years ago. He wondered if the old Relena was capable of such talent. 

" What are you thinking?" Lena asked.

" Just the fact that I'm no longer in a relationship and how that makes me happy." He glanced at her.

" Not the commitment type, I see." She nodded knowingly. " I should have known that."

" I've been wanting to ask you, Relena." He said. " I know you've changed, but what happened that made you change so much?"

" Life happened and then Liz happened. I didn't want to be the princess that everyone expected me to be. You should know because you were one of them." She looked out of the window. " It was as simple as that."

" I didn't know."

A brief moment of silence.

" Hey, can't we have one conversation where we don't end up feeling sorry for each other?" She tried to change the mood. " It's getting old and lame. It's like Heero and Relena, always the serious and sad ones. Well, let me tell you, it's Heero and Lena now, and they are happy people. And I sound like such an idiot."

" Hum... Heero and Lena? " He questioned her word choice. 

" I...I...scratch that. I didn't mean it that way. Don't you get any ideas in your head." She defended herself.

" Ideas? What ideas?"

" Innocence is not your forte, Yuy." She glanced her watch. " Heero, did Duo tell you where we are supposed to meet?"

" Near the T.I.S. building."

" Very specific, eh? " She checked the map in her hands. " Do you think Liz's ok?"

" She's staying with Hilde." That explained everything and it was quite reassuring too. 

They looked at each other and both smiled quietly, but the moment was disrupted by a mutual realization.

" What...what just happened there?" Lena spoke first.

Clearing his throat, Heero shook his head. 

" Were we..." There was only one word she knew how to describe the situation. " Flirting?"

" I'm not sure, but I think that depends on the definition of flirting." He said with such technicality that one would think it was from a book. 

" Thanks, that clears a lot of confusion." She laughed out loud. " Don't worry about it, let's just make sure it doesn't happen again."

He rather liked their pointless conversation. It was refreshing after all the drama they had been through.

" I don't know, but it was nice to be truly normal for once." 

" What?" She lifted one of her eyebrows. " Did I just hear you say that or was it just my imagination? "

" You said it yourself that we should be more relaxed." He chuckled. Another rarity indeed.

" I never said that." She argued. " But, it's true nonetheless. Then again, it does not mean that it will change our relationship, Heero." She had to make things clear for both of them: a reminder was always necessary. 

" Right. I wouldn't want it any other way. " He almost agreed with her. _Almost_ being the operative word here. 

" Friends?" She smiled at him.

" Yeah." He said reluctantly. 

* * *

" Hey guys! " Duo emerged out of his dark vehicle with a grin plastered on his face. " What took you so long? I've been waiting here for ages."

" Traffic." Lena explained truthfully.

" Right." Duo teased. " And I let Wufei cut my hair."

" Duo, that's not funny. " Lena sauntered up to him. " We have work to do." Then she noticed something quite familiar about him that she hasn't seen in a long time. " What's with your outfit?"

Duo looked down at his black boots, black pants, black shirt, through his black shade and shrugged innocently. " What do you mean?"

" The black." Heero pointed out the obvious. 

" Oh. Well, I haven't been on a covert mission like this one in years. Besides, I got tired of wearing the Preventer uniform everyday." He grinned sheepishly. " I miss being the God of Death."

" Right. " Lena shook her head in amusement. " Did you bring the communication device?"

" Yes ma'am." He opened the trunk of the car. " Take a look inside."

Both Heero and Lena peeked into the dark treasure chest. There were some ear phones, communication watches, bugging devices that resembled writing utensils, cameras built like lipsticks, and some weapons.

" Weapons? Duo?" Lena asked incredulously. " Why do we need weapons?" 

" You don't. See, after I informed Une about this mission, she sent me to Wufei for supply. I just took what he had and then some."

" And he let you do it?" Heero questioned.

A moment of dead silence. 

" No, but that's not important." Duo turned around and dug into the trunk, pulling out two gray uniforms. " Here, these are the uniforms you two have to wear in order to pose as security guards. They came with caps too."

" Thanks." Lena grabbed one and proceeded back into her car. " I'll change first."

Several minutes later, she came out fully clothed in the male uniform. Short hair was always handy at a time like this. Lena further concealed her femininity by lowing the cap to cover her upper face.

" Wow, if I didn't know you, I would be very jealous of your handsome looks, Lena." Duo joked. " You make a very good looking man."

" Very insulting, but I'll take that as a compliment. " she glared at him. 

As Heero went to put on his new uniform, Lena inspected the rest of their supply. 

" Ok, we are supposed to be two male security guards, so why do we need these?" She picked up one of the aforementioned lipstick shaped camera. " Couldn't you get something more appropriate for the occasion?"

" That's all I can find." Duo took the device from her hand. " Trust me, they are very useful and easy to carry."

" Right, the people who work at T.I.S will think that they have entrusted two very flamboyant men with their security."

" Well, look at it this way, flamboyance makes you less suspicious." Sometimes Duo's logic really scared her. 

" I'll take your word for it." She nodded with a painful look on her face.

" Are we ready?" Heero reappeared beside Lena. " What's that you are holding?" He pointed at the object in Duo's hand. 

Duo tossed the camera back to Lena without saying a word.

" Don't ask." Lena eyed him knowingly. " I'll keep it for the time being."

" Ready?"

" Yes. Duo? Anything else you have to report to us before we depart for the mission?" She asked.

" Une wanted me to tell you that you two have been legally employed by T.I.S under the names of Eric Miller and Jacque D'Or. The name tags should be on the upper right corner of your uniform, in case you forget. Also, you are fully protected by the Preventer as temporary undercover agents, any case against you will be considered null and void."

" That's nice to hear. Now, let's go."

* * *

The mission was simple. To Heero, it was the simplest, but the hard part was that he had to work with Lena. It had already been difficult enough to get used to the new and improved Relena Dorlain, espionage was just a little too much. On the other hand, however, she was a pretty good actress. A very believable male security guard indeed. The question lay in the fact whether she could pull off her part of the mission. She must gather as much information as possible for Thierry's case, and only she knew what kind of evidence was necessary. Heero's job was to hack into the security system and keep them safe. He seemed to always stuck with that job. Duo, of course, was keeping a constant vigilance for the unexpected. 

She was nervous. After all, this was her first "mission." Though she did think that she was being a little paranoid. It wasn't that dangerous of a task to begin with, and she certainly didn't want to show any of her weaknesses. She could handle everything - she kept telling herself that. 

" Ok, all done." Heero said, lifting his fingers off the key board that controlled the security system in the building. " We are set to go. The surveillance cameras wouldn't be able to detect anything unusual." He was about to explain some more of his amazing program, but she cut him off quickly. 

" I trust you, Heero. Now, let's go before it's too late." She pointed to her watch. It was eight twenty-three in the evening. " I want to finish this mission before nine, so that I can get some sleep." 

He merely nodded.

Rinehart's office wasn't very hard to find; the man knew very well that he had to keep a legitimate story to cover up his lies. His office, the C.E.O's office, was located on the twenty-seventh's floor. 

Lena opened the door quietly and took out the flashlight. Heero followed behind. The room was quite clean and organized, and that meant that Heero and Lena must be really careful not to get things too out of place. She gestured Heero to start on the left side of the room with the file cabinets, and she herself went straight to Rinehart's desk. 

The drawer was locked as expected, but the laser anti-lock key Duo gave her proved to be quite helpful. She didn't think that she would actually find anything too useful, for someone as powerful as Rhinehart wouldn't be an idiot and leave important documents inside his desk. She pricked around with her gloved hands, being very careful not to disturb the placement of things. All she could find were some pens, blank papers, and some cigar. Nothing out of the ordinary, except… She had discovered that under the pages of empty white papers, there lay a frame face down at the bottom of the drawer. She picked it up and turned it around. What she saw was definitely interesting.

" Heero." She whispered. " Hey, come and take a look at what I found."

He stopped amidst his search and walked to her. She showed the frame to him. It was a picture of Clementine. 

" I guess that explains a lot of things, doesn't it?" Lena spoke. 

" We could be mistaken." Heero said with caution. 

" Either way, we now know that Rhinehart definitely has feelings for her." Lena reaffirmed her position. " He wouldn't just keep a picture of a woman in his desk if he does not care for her."

" Jealousy?" Heero analyzed a step further. " If what you say is true, then he must have been obsessed with her for a long time; he knows that she'll never care for him, and if he can't have her heart, then he'll just control her mind."

"But, the picture itself can't prove anything in the court." Lena put the picture back in its original place and relocked the drawer. " Did you find anything?"

" Not really, but we already figured that he wouldn't keep anything out in the open." Heero closed all the cabinets. 

" Well, let's finish what we are here for." She took a tiny metal case out of her pocket and opened the lid. She took out from inside a micro black round disc that was less than a quarter of an inch. 

Heero watched her with a questioning look. 

" It's something Duo gave me." She said and walked to the corner that was opposite of the camera. " I know that you've already bugged the camera in this room, but if you can do that, I'm sure Rhinehart can too. This little thing here, however, will not be detected by anyone. It's the newest surveillance system from the Preventers." 

" You really came prepared." He said, walking toward her. 

She motioned him to pick her up, so that she could place the disc in the center where the walls met. She had avoided using a chair for support, for her feet would have left marks. 

" I just hope Rhinehart will slip up something useful once in a while, or else we still got nothing against him." Lena reasoned.

" We did what we came here for. Mission complete." Heero said. " Let's go now."

* * *

" So that's all you guys could do? Man, that Rhinehart is not so easy to bust after all." Duo said after they got back to the cars. 

" We tried, and the mission was successful." Lena explained. " We'll wait for a while before we come up with the next plan of action." She paused and yawned. " And as for right now, can we get to a hotel and get some sleep? It's an early drive tomorrow and I still need to go to work."

" Sure." Duo nodded his head in agreement. " I'll lead the way and you two follow me."

It didn't take them very long to find a decent hotel in Paris. Duo found them a nice little place with a cheap rate. Since it wasn't tourism season, they were able to find three room next to each other. None of them had brought a big luggage save a few small traveling bags. All three of them, especially Lena went quickly into their own rooms and called the night off. She told Heero and Duo that she was really tired, and they better not disturb her. 

An hour later, after a refreshing bath, Lena, wearing a long sleeve cotton shirt and pajama pants, stood on the balcony that was attached to her room and stared at the star-filled night sky. The soft wind and the lights of the city were quite relaxing. 

" I thought you were tired." A voice startled her. It was Duo Maxwell. He stood on his balcony that was about only three or four feet away from hers. He wore a T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. 

" Apparently I was wrong." He grinned.

" I am tired, but I can't sleep." She said. " I was just thinking."

" Yeah? Well, I actually have something to talk to you about." He was still smiling. 

" About what?"

" Heero. Who else?"

" I know what you are going to say, and my answer is no." She shook her head.

" Oh, come on. Why won't you give him a chance? He's trying really hard, you know."

" I don't want to jeopardize our friendship." She said. " What we have now is more than enough."

" But you'll be lonely." The expression on Duo's face was sincere.

" I have Liz." She was determined.

" She won't be with you forever, you know that. In fact, she'll leave for college next year. What will you do then?" 

" I…" She had no answer to give him.

" You need to get settled." He advised her.

" I am settled. I am as much settled as I need to be."

" Being stubborn will not always solve your problem." Duo said. " Trust me Lena, you'll be better off with Heero."

" You know what Duo? Everyone tells me that I'll be better off with Heero, but that's not true. I've been better off without him for the past seventeen years. I know what I want and I know who I am. That's enough." She reasoned.

" He thinks other wise." Duo said.

" I cannot care what he thinks; my life isn't built on his. I know that, and he knows that too. I think that it is time everyone else realizes it."

" Still, just try and give him a chance."

" It's not like he's never had the chance. What he does with it is not my concern." She laughed. " Tell Heero that next time he should talk to me himself rather than sending you here." She went inside the hotel room and closed the door. 


End file.
